A Case Close to Home
by silverpuff
Summary: CSI's keep disapearing, then showing up in random places. When Lindsay is next on the kidnapper's list, Mac and his team enter a race against time to save her. However the kidnapper is clever, and knows just how to get to Mac....
1. Chapter 1

**A Case Close to Home**

**Plot Summary: Random members of the CSI team keep going missing at regular intervals, then show terrified, in places no-one would even think of looking. When found they are accompanied by a series of strange messages that are the only clue as to what is going on. As the case grows closer to home and Lindsay goes missing, the game becomes more dangerous. Mac and his team face a race against time as they fight to save her.**

**Second ever CSI story so pretty new at this. Feedback is extremely welcome, Thanks to all reviewers on my other story- 'Let it snow,' especially to Dark Rolling Sea for your help.**

**Here goes!**

"Ok everybody, listen up!" Mac Taylor strode to the front of the room and slammed his fistful of papers on to the desk to catch the attention of his team. The buzz of noise faded immediately as they all looked up to face him. He stood in front of a massive board, onto which the pictures and details of several victims were pinned.

"Right. Using the evidence gathered from the last three victims, we are working on the assumption that the kidnapper will strike again this tomorrow evening. Now, the first victim, Detective Lisa Benson, was taken from her kitchen at eight thirty pm. Dr. Fiona Davies was snatched from her car at the same time a week later, then Detective Ellen Frost disappeared on the way home from work last Friday. She was spotted leaving at eight pm by the security guard downstairs. That puts the time of the kidnap at roughly the same time as the first two."

Mac pinned a piece of paper under the photo of Dt. Ellen Frost and stood back.

Stella, Lindsay, Flack, Danny and several other members of the team stared at Mac, listening very carefully.

"The clue left beside the last victim said," Mac handed photos around, "Same time next week, and don't forget to call."

The team looked at the bizarre message that had been left next to the victim when she had been found in a wine cellar under a bar. It had been written in calligraphy on a piece of old yellow parchment and pinned to the chair she had been tied to.

"So far we have not been able to come up with any ideas as to what the second part of the message means, but it is pretty obvious what the first part is telling us. I have arranged for surveillance at all three kidnapping sites, and I believe Detective Flack will be at the bar where Ellen was found."

Flack flinched at the sound of Ellen Frost's name, but nodded to Mac.

"As the victim's were all picked up at different places I don't expect anything will turn up tomorrow evening, but at the minute we have no other leads unless any of the victims wake up. Do we know how they are?"

Danny looked up and passes Mac a file.

"Yeh, er…no change with Fiona and Lisa, and Ellen….got worse." He looked away from Flack as he spoke.

"Ok, well, this case is close to home, so I know I will have your full commitment in helping to catch the son of a bitch that's doing this."

Mac handed them assignment files.

"Just some loose ends that need clearing up on the first three vics, and information about the plan for tomorrow night. I'll see you all in here for a briefing at nine tomorrow morning. Try to get a good night's sleep and…be careful."

The team got up and left the office, talking quietly amongst themselves. The atmosphere, Mac had noticed, was thick with tension. No-one felt safe. Not even he himself felt safe.

"Flack?" He stopped Flack on his way out.

"You got a minute?"

"Sure." Flack stepped back inside the office and sat on a table, clutching his file.

Mac stood in front of him and closed the door.

"I just wanted to ask you, are you ok?" He looked concerned.

"Yeah, I just….I miss her." Flack looked at the picture of Ellen on the pin board and covered his face with his hands, groaning.

"How is she?"

"Not good. The doctor said she's getting worse. What the hell is going on Mac? Why her? Why any of them?"

Mac shook his head and sat opposite Flack.

"I don't know. But if anyone s going to find out, it's us."

He patted Flack on the arm and smiled sympathetically.

Lindsay was just about to pick up her things and leave the office when she heard a noise behind her. She turned around, but there was no-one there. Her eyes searched the dark corner behind her, but she couldn't see anything.

"Everything ok?"

She jumped visibly and gasped as Mac spoke from the other side of the desk.

"Yeah…I just though I heard something….I guess it's just this case, it's making everyone jumpy."

Mac picked up Lindsay's files for her and stood facing her.

"You know, you should be careful Lindsay. All of the victims have been young female detectives. You and Stella are the most vulnerable at the minute."

Lindsay looked up.

"I can take care of myself."

"I don't doubt hat. All I'm saying is….be careful."

Mac once again looked concerned for a member of his team. Lindsay smiled.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to snap. Like I said, jumpy."

She scooped up her files from her boss and sighed.

"You heading home soon?"

Mac nodded.

"Now actually. You want me to walk you home?"

Lindsay nodded appreciatively.

"I was hoping you would say that."

**More drama to come soon but please review so I can pick up on mistakes and improve….**


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two**

**Sorry I have been a while updating, been busy. Anyway, here goes chapter two. I'm not actually that sure where I'm going with this story so I would appreciate any feedback.**

The offices were unusually quiet. A lot of the team were out on the operation at hand, gathering forensic evidence at the place the last victim of the case was found or assisting the FBI in trying to catch the kidnapper at the same place. It was half eight in the evening. Half an hour until he was 'due' to strike again. Mac sat at his desk, chewing his pen. This case was really getting to him. He had never before felt so defeated. He felt like a sitting duck, just sitting around, waiting. No doubt the rest of the team felt the same, particularly the female members. It was his job to hold them all together, and this, he decided, was what he was going to try his hardest to do. He looked at the file on his desk. On the cover was a green post-it note, with Lindsay's name written in Stella's handwriting. Grateful for an excuse to leave his office, Mac picked up the file and walked briskly out, closing the door definitely behind him.

Lindsay was sat at her usual desk, writing something on a note pad. Her face was creased up in concentration. He stopped for a moment in the doorway, watching her. There was something in her eyes that told him she was worried about something. He made his way over to her desk and cleared his throat. She jumped and looked up.

"Oh, er, hey Mac," she said, flicking her blonde hair out of her eyes.

He smiled and laid the file on her desk.

"Stella left this for you," he said, peeling of the post-it note. He rolled it into a little ball and aimed at the waste bin. It went straight in.

Lindsay's eyes followed it, and then flitted back to Mac who was still standing in front of her.

"Was…there something else?"

Mac looked vaguely surprised and shook his head. He hadn't realized he was still standing there.

"Er…yeah…are you ok?"

Lindsay looked blankly at him.

"Ok? I'm fine. Why do you ask?" She fiddled with some drawing pins on her desk, putting all the blue ones together, then all the red and green.

Mac watched her closely and leant against the wall.

"It's just, you seem kinda….nervous, I guess."

She looked up and smiled.

"Mac, really, I'm fine. I think everyone is just feeling really drained right now."

It was clear that this was all he was going to get out of her, and it disappointed him. He thought Lindsay trusted him enough to talk to him. She was still messing about with her drawing pins.

"Ok, well you know if you need to talk…."

She smiled again.

"Thanks Mac."

He strode back across the offices, something still bothering him.

Lindsay sat quietly at her desk, trying to work out her boss. Mac was nice, and really sweet at times. He could also be a complete loser at times, and the guy was an emotional rollercoaster at times, but something about him made her feel really comfortable. Before this case, she and Mac had gotten quite close, but it seemed to be getting in the way at the moment. She hadn't really thought about him much lately. Glancing at her clock, she decided that there wasn't much else she could do today. She felt a bit like an extra tool, or an onlooker. The rest of the team had decided that it was safer for her and Stella to keep a low profile for a few days, so she had been stuck in the office for hours. She collected her things and pulled her coat on. She was just locking the door to the office when a hand was clamped firmly over her mouth.

Mac was just about to sit back down at his desk when he spotted a few papers near the door of his office. He picked them up and glanced briefly at them. They were part of the file he had just given Lindsay. Cursing, he began to walk back to her office. The building seemed eerily quiet. There were a few fans around blowing air around the rooms, but they didn't really make It any cooler, just stuffy. The papers in his hand rustled as he passed one, and a light above his head flickered. As he looked up at it, he noticed that the CCTV camera had black tape over it. It was the one opposite Lindsay's office. When he looked down the hall he saw that most of the camera's had been taped over.

He knocked on Lindsay's door but there was no answer. The light was off but the door was slightly ajar. Lindsay was not inside.

Mac called Danny, who came out of a room down the corridor.

"What up boss?"

"You seen Lindsay?"

Mac looked concerned, standing with his hands on his hips.

"No, not since….bout an hour ago." Danny glanced at the clock on the wall, then noticed the cameras.

"Boss, why are the camera's all taped up?"

Mac and Danny looked at each other, then at the door of Lindsay's office. Danny stepped forwards slowly and removed the keys from the lock.

"Mac?" he held them in his hand and didn't look up. Mac walked into the office and looked at the desk. It was neat and tidy, everything in it's rightful place. Except for the envelope with his name on it.

Aware of Danny at his side, Mac slowly opened the envelope. It was like the others, he remembered as the sickening feeling hit him. The handwriting was the same too.

He unfolded the paper inside and read the short message.

'Right from under your nose.'

There was a short silence.

"Oh man." Danny's hand flew to his forehead, whilst Mac just read the message again. He leaned against the desk for support, dumbstruck.

The cameras.

The keys in the door.

The note.

She was gone. He had her. Right from under his nose.


End file.
